Governor's Bill No. 6872 seeks to revise and consolidate Connecticut's hate crimes statutes by broadening the definitions and expanding the scope of protected categories. The bill replaces the term "intimidation based on bigotry or bias" with "hate crime" and introduces a more comprehensive definition of "protected social category," which now includes race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, and veteran status. It also updates definitions related to "disability," "gender identity or expression," and "elderly" to align with current legal standards. The bill categorizes hate crimes into different degrees based on the severity of the offense, with specific penalties and minimum fines that cannot be reduced without court justification.

In addition to enhancing definitions and penalties, the bill establishes new classifications of hate crimes, particularly those affecting religious property and those involving threats of physical contact or property damage motivated by bias. It introduces new offenses such as hate crime by advocacy and deprivation of civil rights, with penalties ranging from class A misdemeanors to class E felonies. The bill also mandates harsher sentencing for defendants found guilty of hate crimes, requiring that their offenses be recorded as hate crimes in official records. Furthermore, it repeals outdated legal language and replaces it with updated terminology, including the removal of references to "the mentally retarded" in favor of "persons with intellectual disability." The effective date for these changes is set for October 1, 2025, aiming to strengthen protections against hate crimes and discrimination in Connecticut.

Statutes affected:
Governor's Bill: 53-37a, 53-37, 52-571c, 3-129f